दलिताः पापिनो यत्र मम दूतैश्च ताडिताः । धनुःषोडशमानं च तत्कुण्डं दलनं स्मृतम्
Where sinners are crushed and beaten by my messengers, the pit measuring sixteen bows is known as the place of crushing.
पतनेनैव पापी च शुष्ककण्ठोष्ठतालुकः । बालुकासु च तप्तासु धनुस्त्रिंशत्प्रमाणकम्
By falling, the sinner becomes parched in throat, lips, and palate, and in the pit filled with burning sand, measuring thirty bows.
शतपौरुषमानं च गम्भीरं ध्वान्तसंयुतम् । शोषणं कुण्डमेतद्धि पापिनां परदुःखदम्
A pit one hundred puruṣas deep, filled with darkness, measuring thirty bows, is called the pit of drying, causing suffering to sinners.
नानाचर्मकषायोदपरिपूर्णं धनुःशतम् । दुर्गन्धियुक्ततद्भक्ष्यैः प्राणिभिः सङ्कुलं कषम्
A pit one hundred bows in size, filled with various skins and astringent liquids, crowded with foul-smelling creatures that devour the sinful.
शूर्पाकारमुखं कुण्डं धनुर्द्वादशमानकम् । तप्तलोहबालुकाभिः पूर्णं पातकिसंयुतम्
A pit with a winnowing-basket-shaped mouth, measuring twelve bows, filled with burning iron sand and inhabited by the fallen.
दुर्गन्धियुक्तं तद्भक्ष्यैः पापिभिः सङ्कुलं सति । शूर्पाकारमुखं कुण्डं धनुर्द्वादशमात्रकम्
Foul-smelling, crowded with devouring sinners, the pit with a winnowing-basket-shaped mouth measures twelve bows.
प्रतप्तबालुकापूर्णं महापातकिभिर्युतम् । अन्तरग्निशिखानां च ज्वालाव्याप्तमुखं सदा
Filled with burning sand, inhabited by great sinners, and always filled with flames rising within.
धनुर्विंशतिमात्रं च प्रमाणं यस्य सुन्दरि । ज्वालाभिर्दग्धगात्रैश्च पापिभिर्व्याप्तमेव च
O beautiful one, the pit measures twenty bows, and is filled with sinners whose bodies are burned by flames.
तन्महाक्लेशदं शश्वत्कुण्डं ज्वालामुखं स्मृतम् । पातमात्राद्यत्र पापी मूर्च्छितो वै नरो भवेत्
That pit, always causing great torment, is known as the flaming-mouthed pit, where the sinner faints as soon as he falls in.
तप्तेष्टकाभ्यन्तरितं वाप्यर्धं जिह्मकुण्डकम् । धूमान्धकारसंयुक्तं धूम्रान्धैः पापिभिर्युतम्
Half a pond in size, lined with heated bricks, crooked in shape, filled with smoke and darkness, and inhabited by smoke-blinded sinners.
धनुःशतं श्वासरन्ध्रैर्धूम्रान्धं परिकीर्तितम् । पातमात्राद्यत्र पापी नागैश्च वेष्टितो भवेत्
A hundred bows' length, filled with smoke and darkness, is said to be the place where, upon falling, a sinner is bound by serpents at every breath's interval.
धनुःशतं नागपूर्णं तन्नागैर्वेष्टितं भवेत् । षडशीति च कुण्डानि मयोक्तानि निशामय । लक्षणं चापि तेषां च किं भूयः श्रोतुमिच्छसि
A hundred bows' length, filled with serpents, there one is entwined by those serpents; and I have spoken of eighty-six pits—listen—do you wish to hear further of their characteristics?
सावित्र्युपाख्यानवर्णनम् सावित्र्युवाच देवीभक्तिं देहि मह्यं साराणां चैव सारकम् । पुंसां मुक्तिद्वारबीजं नरकार्णवतारकम्
The Account of Sāvitrī Begins Sāvitrī said: Grant me devotion to the Goddess, and the essence of all that is essential; the seed of liberation's gateway for men, the raft to cross the ocean of hell.
कारणं मुक्तिसाराणां सर्वाशुभविनाशनम् । दारकं कर्मवृक्षाणां कृतपापौघहारणम्
The cause of the essence of liberation, the destroyer of all inauspiciousness; the child of the tree of karma, the remover of the multitude of sins committed.
मुक्तिश्च कतिथाप्यस्ति किं वा तासां च लक्षणम् । देवीभक्तिं भक्तिभेदं निषेकस्यापि खण्डनम्
How many kinds of liberation are there, and what are their characteristics? Tell me of devotion to the Goddess, the types of devotion, and even the refutation of initiation.
तत्त्वज्ञानविहीना च स्त्रीजातिर्विधिनिर्मिता । किञ्चिञ्ज्ञानं सारभूतं वद वेदविदां वर
Women, created by rule, lack true knowledge of reality; O best of knowers of the Veda, speak a little of the essence of knowledge.
सर्वं दानं च यज्ञश्च तीर्थस्नानं व्रतं तपः । अज्ञानिज्ञानदानस्य कलां नार्हन्ति षोडशीम्
All gifts, sacrifices, bathing at holy places, vows, and austerities are not equal to even a sixteenth part of the giving of knowledge, whether by the ignorant or the wise.
पितुः शतगुणा माता गौरवे चेति निश्चितम् । मातुः शतगुणः पूज्यो ज्ञानदाता गुरुः प्रभो
It is certain that the mother is a hundred times more worthy of reverence than the father; and the giver of knowledge, the guru, O Lord, is a hundred times more worthy of worship than the mother.
धर्मराज उवाच पूर्वं सर्वो वरो दत्तो यस्ते मनसि वाञ्छितः । अधुना शक्तिभक्तिस्ते वत्से भवतु मद्वरात्
Dharmarāja said: Previously, every boon you desired in your mind was granted; now, by my boon, may you have devotion and strength, O child.
श्रोतुमिच्छसि कल्याणि श्रीदेवीगुणकीर्तनम्। वक्तॄणां पृच्छकानां च श्रोतॄणां कुलतारणम्
Do you wish to hear, O auspicious one, the praise of the virtues of the Goddess, which is the means for the questioners, speakers, and listeners to cross their family lineages?
शेषो वक्त्रसहस्रेण नहि यद्वक्तुमीश्वरः । मृत्युञ्जयो न क्षमश्च वक्तुं पञ्चमुखेन च
Even with a thousand mouths, Śeṣa is not able to speak it; nor is Mṛtyuñjaya able to tell it with his five mouths.
धाता चतुर्णां वेदानां विधाता जगतामपि । ब्रह्मा चतुर्मुखेनैव नालं विष्णुश्च सर्ववित्
The creator of the four Vedas, the arranger of the worlds, even Brahmā with four faces, and Viṣṇu, the all-knower, are not able to do so.
कार्तिकेयः षण्मुखेन नापि वक्तुमलं ध्रुवम् । न गणेशः समर्थश्च योगीन्द्राणां गुरोर्गुरुः
Kārtikeya, even with six faces, is certainly not able to speak it; nor is Gaṇeśa, the guru of the yogis, capable.
सारभूताश्च शास्त्राणां वेदाश्चत्वार एव च । कलामात्रं यद्गुणानां न विदन्ति बुधाश्च ये
Even the essence of the scriptures and the four Vedas, and the wise among men, do not know even a fraction of Her virtues.
सरस्वती जडीभूता नालं तद्गुणवर्णने । सनत्कुमारो धर्मश्च सनन्दनः सनातनः
Sarasvatī becomes mute, unable to describe those virtues; as do Sanatkumāra, Dharma, Sanandana, and Sanātana.
सनकः कपिलः सूर्यो येऽन्ये च ब्रह्मणः सुताः । विचक्षणा न यद्वक्तुं किञ्चान्ये जडबुद्धयः
Sanaka, Kapila, Sūrya, and the other sons of Brahmā, though discerning, are not able to speak them—how much less those of dull intellect.
न यद्वक्तुं क्षमाः सिद्धा मुनीन्द्रा योगिनस्तथा । के चान्ये च वयं के वा श्रीदेव्या गुणवर्णने
Neither the perfected beings, the greatest sages, nor the yogis are able to speak them; so who are we, or anyone else, to describe the virtues of Śrī Devī?
ध्यायन्ते यत्पदाम्भोजं ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवादयः । अतिसाध्यं स्वभक्तानां तदन्येषां सुदुर्लभम्
Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva, and others meditate upon Her lotus feet; it is extremely attainable for Her devotees, but exceedingly rare for others.
कश्चित्किञ्चिद्विजानाति तद्गुणोत्कीर्तनं शुभम् । अतिरिक्तं विजानाति ब्रह्मा ब्रह्मविशारदः
Some know a little of her auspicious praise and qualities; Brahma, the knower of Brahman, knows more than that.
ततोऽतिरिक्तं जानाति गणेशो ज्ञानिनां गुरुः । सर्वातिरिक्तं जानाति सर्वज्ञः शम्भुरेव सः
Beyond that, Ganesha, the guru of the wise, knows; but it is Shiva alone, the all-knowing, who knows everything beyond all.